>>can avoidance of past reminders (of traumatic event) be considered as closure or a "method of moving past the event?

I really don't know enough about how other people experience such extreme trauma to be able to comment on that. I do think it is an important issue... at the very least something that should be brought up in therapy.

I can say in more general terms that, like almost all things, the "correct" solution is neither this nor that but rather a balance. For example, speaking of triggers in a more general sense, I think it is important for anyone with mental illness to first be able to IDENTIFY the things that trigger them. Then find solutions as to what to do about them. Suppose for example someone has an alcohol addiction. They may be triggered by going into bars or by hanging out with unhealthy friends who encourage drinking. In those cases the solution might be to avoid triggers... stay away from bars, stay away from unhealthy friends... but there will always be triggers that we cannot avoid... maybe attending a friends wedding where other people will be drinking, a close friend where not attending the wedding would not be acceptable. In those cases we need to develop other skills to cope.

This is one of the things in the "preparation" program that I mentioned in another thread (that I still haven't been able to find). Part of it is identifying, in writing, not just triggers but breaking them into groups. There are triggers that you can avoid. There are triggers that you can't avoid but that you can plan for... for example maybe a family member triggers you and you know that person is going to be at Thanksgiving. You can plan in advance ways to minimize the damage to yourself, ways to avoid or cope with that person at the event, things to do afterward to bring oneself back to health. Then there are triggers that might pop up spontaneously... maybe something on TV comes up or you run into someone at the store... and thinking of ways to help cope with that situation as well as possible.

I should look harder for the info on this program...